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Message in a Bottle (comic)
}} (Star Trek Unlimited) | number = | writer = Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton | penciler=Mark Buckingham | inker=Kev Sutherland | editor=Tim Tuohy | eic = Bob Harras | colorist = Kevin Somers | letterer = Phil Felix | publisher = Marvel Comics | published = | anthology = Unlimited, Issue 3 | pages = 21 | date = 2270 | stardate = 5989.6 |}} Message in a Bottle was a 21-page Star Trek: The Original Series story which appeared in the third issue of Marvel Comics' anthology series Star Trek Unlimited along with the TNG story "Sins of the Fathers". In this story, when Captain Kirk is knocked unconscious on a mission to a pocket universe, Lieutenant Uhura must assume command of the mission and find a way to return the crew to their own universe. Publisher's description ;From solicitations :When a wormhole disables a shuttle, Uhura takes control! Summary :Communications officer's log, stardate 5989.6. While charting the remote Huygen cluster, the ''Enterprise has encountered a curious spatial phenomenon. What initially appeared to be a wormhole is in fact the entrance to a pocket universe a fraction the size of our own. The regular bursts of quantum matter within it seem to contain repeated, structured phrases... an indecipherable language of pure energy… Captain Kirk has assembled a landing party to run the gauntlet between the quantum discharges. We are to investigate the anomaly and if so, to communicate with it.'' Kirk, Christine Chapel, Hikaru Sulu, Nyota Uhura, and crewman Corman boarded the to explore the anomaly. The ship traversed a lengthy conduit between the primary universe and the pocket universe, but unexpected energy discharges flipped the shuttle and knocked out Kirk. As ranking mission officer, Uhura assumed command over Corman's heated objections. :Acting captain's log, Lieutenant Uhura reporting. We are nearing the entrance to the pocket universe. In the absence of Captain Kirk, I will initiate first contact procedure should it become necessary. Until I hear otherwise, from Mr. Spock, the welfare of this mission and crew are my responsibility. They discovered bio-electrical relays between crystalline clusters that acted like neural synapses, and Uhura suspected the entire anomaly was one massive living entity. Sulu detected dangerous gravitational variances when it was unsafe to reenter the narrow conduit, so they abandoned ship in environmental suits. A plasma flare destroyed the Columbus, stranding its crew. :Acting captain's log, supplemental. I'm returning to the primary cluster at the heart of the anomaly. If I'm right, it could be the key to sending a distress signal back to the ''Enterprise. I plan to use one of the quantum pulses as a carrier for the signal. However, this entails making contact with the being's consciousness. After the way it treated the shuttle, I rate my chances somewhere between slim and none, but I have to try... I don't think I've ever felt so alone. I've reconfigured my translator to emit a universal greeting on a similar wavelength to the shuttle's energy signature which initially attracted the being's attention. Aside from acting as vehicle for the distress call, it may well provide a means of talking to the anomaly itself. It's a long shot, but as the captain says, those are sometimes the best ones.'' They transmitted just as a dangerous energy pulse appeared below Uhura. Their carrier wave signal provided transporter coordinates, and the immediately beamed them back. While Kirk was treated in sickbay by Leonard McCoy, Uhura explained to Chapel that she had been able to make the entity aware of them. Its linguistic broadcasts were actually singing, and she was working to define its vocabulary. Corman approached them, perhaps to apologize. References Characters :Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Corman • James T. Kirk • pocket universe entity • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • [[unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s)|unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s)]] (helm officer, relief communications officer) Leonard McCoy Starships and vehicles : ( heavy cruiser) • (Class F shuttlecraft) Locations :Huygen Cluster Races and cultures :Human • Vulcan States and organizations :Federation Science and technology :communications • distress call • engine • environmental suit • gravity constrictor • helm • life support • sensor • thruster • transporter • universal translator Ranks and titles :captain • communications officer • crewman • ensign • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • lieutenant • nurse • officer • pilot • Starfleet ranks Other references :assignment patch • brain • command division • communications officer's log • coordinates • crystal • death • electromagnetism • energy • event horizon • evolution • gravity • impulse • landing party • language • life • lifeform • mammal • minute • observation port • operations division • orbit • plasma • pocket universe • probe • seat belt • singing • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • universe • wormhole Appendices Significant events * This comic marks the destruction of the shuttlecraft . An alternate account of the vessel's loss in 2270 was described in . Background * Kirk said to the crew of the Columbus: "Once more unto the breach, dear friends." That was a line from Act 3, Scene 1 of Henry V by William Shakespeare. (Henry V, Act 3 Scene 1 at the MIT Shakespeare website) * The unnamed navigator from "Action of the Tiger" returned, this time as an ensign manning the helm. * Christine Chapel made her debut in the series. Related stories * – In 2267, Nyota Uhura assumed command as duty officer for an evening watch. * – Uhura assumed command while Scott lead a strike force aboard . * – James T. Kirk gave Uhura command – both being under Klingon hypnosis – while he dealt personally with mutineers. * – In 2269, Uhura took command when Montgomery Scott was incapacitated by Taureans. * – Debut of the . Connections Timeline )}} | before = #2: Action of the Tiger | after = #4: None But the Brave }} | after = Sins of the Fathers }} External link * Category:tOS comics